2022 Tor des Geants Italy

Thursday 18th August:  Weather: 10°C to 22°C: Cold in La Thuile: Cool, Overcast and no train to the Bivouac

Day 2 La Thuile to Cosimo Zappelli: 19.5k Walk: 8am to 5.15pm: 9hrs 15mins: 1 stop 20 min, 1 stop 5 mins

Ascent/Descent:  Ascent, 1,613m, Descent 1,114m: Total Up and Down 2,727m

Accommodation: Bivouac Cosimo Zappelli

Day 2  highlight reaching the Alto Pass at 2,890m with spectacular scenery the whole way, despite the forecast of rain.  We think we took a wrong turn turning a 7 hour day into a 9 hr day.  We started at 8am in La Thuile in cool conditions, walking up to La Joux where we followed the signs to the Rifugio La Deffeyes.  It was a long up and down hike and it’s 2pm when we get to the Rifugio when it should have been 12pm Midday.  Probably the navigator misinterpreted the maps!. Never the less we reached the High Pass at 5pm then down to the magical Bivouac Cosimo Zappelli with 5 young Italians already there.  This Bivouac was built 2 years ago after the old one at Promoud disappeared in an avalanche.

We’re awake at 6am and pack ready to leave as soon as we have breakfast.  Our packs seem heavy - enough food (and wine) for tonight and breakfast and lunch tomorrow.  It’s a cold 10° C outside when we walk to the breakfast room where our hosts have a marvellous array of cakes, croissants, yoghurts, meats cheeses etc.  We have coffee and yoghurt with fruit and take a slice of cake for morning tea.  Back to our room and finalise our heavy packs.  Mine now weighs between 8kg and 9kg, when I had carefully planned it to weigh 6kg.  But this should be the heaviest the pack is for this trip - I hope - as it’s the only place we need to carry our food for the two days.

It’s an easy walk along a quiet road to La Joux, then we take a track that is signed to Rifugio Deffeyes where we are headed.  Its an up and down track through the Pine forests and we both feel good having conquered our first day of the Tor des Geants yesterday. We walk beyond our standard 2hr walk before coffee, and it’s 11am when we stop at the top of a long climb with views down to La Thuile through the mist below us. Onward towards Rifugio Deffeyes, following the signs and yellow arrows.  It seems further that the Tor des Geants time table indicates and is not well sign posted.  We’re not sure we’re on the Tor des Geants track, but we are headed to Rifugio Deffeyes, though we feel it is the long way around.  

Passing the glacial lakes, we’ve been going 3 hrs with no sign of Rifugio Deffeyes, until at 2.15pm we finally arrive at the Rifugio at an altitude of 2,500 metres, with a back drop of glaciers.  There’s about 20 hikers mulling round.  They’ve just arrived at the Rifugio, settling in for the night but we can’t stop yet except for a quick hunk of bread to keep us going as the sign to Promoud (the old Bivouac blown away in an avalanche) says 3 hrs - one and a half hours and 400 metres ascent to the high pass , and another one and a half hours descent to Promoud (now the new Cosimo Zappelli Bivouac).  The Bivouac was named after a famous alpinist and photographer.

It’s a confronting mass of shady rock which soon comes into view with the Alto Pass (High Pass) way above, but steadily we climb to the top and take a quick selfie before descending out of the cold. Now there’s an 800 metres descent to the Bivouac.  Ian’s knees are screaming but he’s not complaining too much except for a few grunts and groans on the way down the zig zag path. After an hour, the black shape of the Bivouac comes into view but it’s still another 30 minutes before we finally get there to find 5 young friendly Italians already there.

 It’s warm inside and luckily the young ones have claimed the top 5 bunks and we set up two on the bottom.  The bivouac is set up with 10 bunks  with mattresses and blankets. A tiny kitchenette and table and bench seats for 6 people.   All we needed to bring were sheet sleeping bags and of course our food and wine. We’re set up our beds very quickly and soon sit down to a Mateus Rose with we (Ian) have carried in a cordial bottle with bread cheese tomato and ham.  There’s LED lighting that’s nice and we can’t believe how warm it is inside despite being 7°C outside.  The Bivouac was technically designed to be well insulated and was flown in by helicopter in sections less than 18 months ago. There’s no shower of course but there is a toilet - but it’s closed - so a bush or a rock will have to do.  The young Italians eat after us and make us a cup of tea - we must look like we needed it.  Early to bed.